Some Rules are Meant to be Broken
by Hiei's Ice Lover
Summary: This is a romance. In this Hiei,Kurama,Yusuke,and Touya are brothers and Kuwabara isn't in this one. They keep their demon heriatage on the down low so they don't use that often and they're SWAT boys. So what happens when you set them lose on an unsuspe


Some Rules are Meant to be Broken

Name: Bailey Valentine

Age: 17

Hair: black

Eyes: dark

Job: reporter

Race: Human, Barakan

I only own Bailey and the plot and some other characters. In this story, Yusuke and Keiko are getting married; Kuwabara is not in this one. Yusuke, Hiei, Kurama, and Touya are brothers. Kurama's the oldest, then Hiei, then Yusuke, then Touya. The four brothers are SWAT and Keiko works in a book store in the mall.

Hiei: Hn, just tell them the story already

Ice: Don't be rude

Touya: Rude is his middle name

Kurama: We all hope you like this fic

Kuwabara: Why can't I be in it?

Ice: Because I hate. Oh, yeah, and sex may be in later chapters and sexual content as well

Prologue

River side, Oregon, SWAT rear guard Hiei O'Rourke crushed the impatience nagging at his heels as he coordinated the tactical operation forming in Riverside Mall's parking lot. He was too busy to think. Too focused on the job to feel. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. Maybe, eventually, he'd believe it.

Hell, he shouldn't have any problem. Incarcerating his emotions in a steel cage was his MO for getting through life.

Sleet stung his face, but he ignored the rotten weather, just as he ignored dread's smothering weight on his chest. Normally, he guarded the team's back. But unless Captain Greene arrived, which didn't look promising, Hiei was high-ranking officer. Team leader and incident commander by default.

All the other members of Alpha Squad had answered the call-out, except his younger brother Yusuke, the team's door-kicker. Yusuke was trapped inside the mall with a crew of bank robbers. Unarmed and defenseless (I forgot to mention, they're not demons in this one).

Yusuke's fiancée, Keiko, was trapped along with him. The robbers held three additional hostages-the bank manager, a pregnant woman (who had escaped, helped Yusuke and Keiko, and whose baby Yusuke had delivered, was now hiding somewhere safe) and the O'Rourkes' eighty-year-old neighbor,Genkai Jacobson.

Hiei had played with, worked with, and fought shoulder-to-shoulder beside Yusuke. He admired and respected his brother.

He also loved him-with bone-deep, fierce and abiding loyalty. Closest in age among the four siblings, he and Yusuke had forged a nearly inseparable bond since birth. The O'Rourke brothers shared not only the calling to be SWAT cops, but also a connection of the heart that grew stronger by the day. No criminal would steel that from him. Nine years ago, Hiei had become head of the family when his father had been killed, a victim of senseless violence. One wrenching lost was enough. He'd vowed to protect his loved ones at any cost. He _would_ get his brother out alive. (Kurama was too beat up about the death of their father, that he couldn't take being head, so Hiei did.)

As he prepared to head across the street, his shoulders stiffened in rebellion, his warrior's instincts outraged at leaving the combat zone. He forced himself to move. He had to go. Had to establish the command post. Stick to procedure. Don't let emotions interfere. Bring everybody home breathing.

Blinding light stabbed his peripheral vision, and he pivoted. What the-?

A TV news crew had encamped in the rear of the parking lot, setting up cameras and floodlights around a white van. The lights illuminated Hiei, the team and the mall. A slick blond man reported sporting a salon tan postured in front of the cameras emoting dramatically into a cordless mike.

"Who the hell let civilians leak into the inner perimeter?" Hiei roared. "Tighten up that line! Not even a fricking gnat gets through unless he's packing a badge and a weapon!"

An abashed chorus of "Yes, sirs" swelled in the frosty air.

Swearing, Hiei staked toward the van. "Kill those lights!"

A small woman with wispy black hair ending at her the middle of her back stepped in front of him. Dressed for the turbulent weather in a well-worn purple parka, red scarf and matching gloves, she planted both palms on his Kevlar vest, jerking him to an abrupt stop. "That's Parker Dan the award-winning anchorman."

Hiei glanced down into intelligent dark eyes and deliciously feminine, almost feline features. The jolt to his senses, the kick of heat in his belly was anger, nothing more. "I don't care if he's the Pope, in town to bless the masses. Kill those damn lights, they're compromising my operation."

The exotic looking woman dropped her hands. Colorful beaded earrings swung as she waved at a stocky guy standing beside the van. "Douse the lights while Parker rehearses." She turned back to Hiei. "And you are?"

"Officer Hiei O'Rourke, acting SWAT Incident Commander."

Her gaze traveled the length of his body from tousled, wet hair to scuffed combat boots and back up. Unwelcome, uninvited warmth flooded his bloodstream, and he clenched his jaw. "You're in a secured area. Clear out."

She tilted her head. The icy wind tumbled the shiny black curls around her face like a halo. Talk about blatantly deceptive packaging. Her spicy tropical fragrance seemed incongruous in the dangerous winter night as she grinned up at him. "What does SWAT stand for? Sure, we are tempting?"

Like a numb limb with circulation suddenly restored, long-dead, disturbing feelings tingled painfully to life. A distraction he didn't need and sure as hell didn't want. "I don't have time for games-"

"I'm Bailey." She interrupted him, a rare occurrence. His fierce concentration and alpha-wolf attitude intimidated most people. Apparently, it didn't impress the little gypsy, because she didn't budge and inch. "Bailey Valentine, with KKEY, your key to breaking news. See it happen as it happens. I'm Parker's fact checker."

"I'll just bet you are." His libido was lusting after a _reporter,_ for crying out loud. Perky harbingers of doom. Peddlers of destruction and death. Vultures, pimping people's anguish for the ratings god. Been there, done that, had bitter, painful scares on his soul. He'd rather suck face with a scorpion. He drilled her with a lethal stare that had made hardened felons cower. "You're endangering my officers and hostages. Leave. Now."

Apparently also immune to the death stare, she whipped out a notepad and pen from inside a battered canvas bag. "You can confirm there are hostages? How many? Who's holding them?"

Widening his stance, he stepped closer, aggressively invading her space. "I'm gong to say this once. Pack your stuff, clampa leash on your pet monkey and bug out."

She didn't so much as blink. "This is an opportunity to provide information to our viewers, and we have an obligation to take that opportunity. Any good news organization would do the same." She jutted her small pointed chin in a challenging angle. "The public has a right to know the truth."

Frustration burned his gut. He was used to being obeyed without question. "The public has a right to safety. And protection from piranhas that rip personal tragedies apart on live satellite feed and feast on the bloody pieces. If one person, one item of equipment is still on the premises in two minutes, I will personally place you all under arrest."

Her pretty red lips parted in a shocked gasp. "For what?"

"For starters, interfering with an officer in the line of duty."

"You wouldn't dare! The freedom of the press is a guaranteed constitutional"

"Try me. You'll be on your way to jail before you can say 'yellow journalism'" He flicked a glance at his watch. "One minute and forty seconds."

Not waiting for her reply, he swung around and strode away.

That's when everything went to hell.

Two four-wheel-drive SUVs careened around the corner of the mall, chained tires sparking on the ice. Gunshots exploded and bullets screamed overhead. Running, shouting police officers dove for cover and returned fire.

Adrenaline blasted through Hiei's veins, and his body moved before his brain fully registered the urgency. He whirled and lunged at Bailey, taking them both down in one leap. Cushioning her head in his hand, he rolled on the frozen pavement, absorbing most of the blow, and then rolled again, pinning her small body beneath him.

She didn't make a sound, didn't move as he snatched his Glock from his thigh holster and fired at the retreating SUVs. Dammit, the targets were too far away, moving too fast. Sirens shrieked and lights flashed as police cars chased the SUVs into the storm.

Hiei sucked in a deep breath and holstered his weapon. He rolled to one side, and scooped the woman from underneath him. "Are you all right?"

Her small body limp, her face bleached by death, Bailey stared sightlessly up at the swirling sleet. Hiei's heart stopped, frozen with anguish. He'd let her down.

_He'd let her die._


End file.
